When your business is (or goes) online, your domain name is what makes that critical first impression. Get it right, and you'll find it easier to promote your business. Get it wrong and you could do damage to your online reputation.
Your domain should accomplish several things:
Clearly identify what your business or website is about.
Capture interest in visiting the website.
Help with search engine optimization.
Be easy to understand and remember.
Support your brand.
Let's go over each of these in a little more detail.
Clearly identify what your business or website is about
Many successful domain names are the same as the product promoted at that site. Others state what the product is about. Both of these strategies work well because the domain name helps the visitor understand what to expect before they even get there.
Capture interest in visiting the website
When someone sees your domain name, does it make them want to visit the site? Does the domain communicate a benefit that the Internet surfer wants to have? For example, if you sell widgets, then a domain like widgetsforconstruction.com clearly identifies what the widgets are for and will attract folks from the construction industry. Another good example might be costeffectivewidgets.com... this domain clearly states a benefit of the widgets... they are cost effective.
Help with search engine optimization (SEO)
If you can use keywords that your target market would use to look for what you have to offer in your domain, then your domain itself is helping out with SEO. For example, if someone would use the term "homemade pie" to look for your new book, then a domain such as janeshomemadepies.com would work really well to get search engine traffic.
Be easy to understand and remember
It is better to have a domain name that a person can remember and easily type into their browser than one that is clever but difficult to remember how to spell.
Also, you should keep an eye out for unintended meanings that might be lurking in the combination of letters. Take for example, choosespain.com. This domain can be read two ways: "chooses pain" or "choose Spain." The latter is the intended meaning.
Support your brand
Sometimes, you want your domain name to be more about your brand than about SEO or a specific product or service. For example, if you are an author, speaker or coach, your name would make a very good domain. Not only does it support your brand, but if someone is searching for you on the Internet by name, it also has your key words.
However, if you are not trying to brand your name, but instead are building a brand that you can later sell or bequeath to your children or grandchildren, you might go a different route and purchase a domain that describes your service.
Since your domain name will most likely be the first thing someone sees when they find your website in search results, it is important that it make a good first impression. Use these suggestions to help you make the best choice for you and your business.
If you would like to learn more about how to create an successful web presence, I recommend picking up a copy of my book, Home Sweet Home Page: The 5 Deadly Mistakes Authors, Speakers and Coaches Make with Their Website's Home Page and How to Fix Them! at.
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